A Concord Carpenter e-letter #12
Published: Tue, 09/27/11
 |
| Home � BIO � TV Show � Product Review Videos � Ask Concord Carpenter |
 What's New At ACC?
Last week I traveled to NYC for the Kobalt tool launch event.
For those of you who are not familiar with Kobalt, they got
their start in 1998 as a mechanics tool line. The brand has since extended to
corded and cordless power tools and hand tools. The tools are sold
exclusively at Lowe's.
The event was fun and the best part was I got a chance to hang with some of my friendly competitive co-bloggers and website people. Read my post on the event here: Kobalt Tool Event  Concord Carpenter On HGTV.
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by HGTV and asked to speak on the hidden costs of remodeling. They made 3-4 mini clips of the interviewed and you can see them here:
Many states, including Massachusetts, require written contract for
remodeling or repair work that exceeds $1,000.
If contractors violate this provision, their registration may be
suspended or revoked, and they can be fined or face criminal prosecution.
The National Association Of Professionally Accredited Contractors [NAPAC] offers a FREE evaluation of any contractors contract. NAPAC works in all 50 states and is able to look over and make recommendations for contractors contracts in order make sure they are in compliance and protected. To have your contract evaluated scan it and send to
info@ napac.net
RELATED POSTS: Why Have A Construction Contract? Contractor Outsourcing - Good Idea or Bad? Many people are of the belief that by keeping all work "in-house" they will save money. In my opinion, hiring a specialized trade contractor for specific tasks is almost always more cost-effective on fixed-price projects. Specialists will almost always do a job faster than someone who does not do the work every day and their prior experience means fewer delays due to unforeseen problems as well as less time spent searching for the parts and materials that many skilled plumbers, electricians, and insulation contractors have on hand in their trucks.
 If you're like me painting your house can be a daunting miserable task. Hiring a painting contractor can be expensive too. A few years ago I spent the time and fixed all of my siding and trim and then hired a painting contractor to paint my entire house. I did this because the house color was changing and a lot of prep work [sanding] was needed. By hiring the paint contractor I was able to get my entire
house in good shape and ready for my "master" paint plan!
Once the house was in a manageable shape I
decided to wait two to three years I and then started painting one side of the house a year.
No more painting crews. I focused on the MOST weathered side first and work my way around to a different side each year.
By breaking the house up this way I am able to mentally and physically
paint my own house on a super low budget.
Plus a benefit of only having to focus on one side a year is that I can
break that side up into different projects as needed and into manageable smaller projects. For example:
1. Carpentry repairs 2. Trim paint 3. House Body Paint 4. Windows Each one of these can be a separate project over the course of the spring, summer to fall season. And done at my pace and low budget. In order for this plan to work you must start with a house
that has a decent paint job and can last four to six a minimum of years before getting
painted again.
RELATED POSTS:
|
|
LIKE AConcordCarpenter on Face Book |